Google Local
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When merchants sell their products online, they have what seems like an endless source of opportunities to get their products in front of perspective customers. But what about local merchants who want to drive customers into their brick-and-mortar stores? The fact is when compared to online marketing and advertising, there are far fewer options for local merchants to grow foot traffic in their stores.Sure, there are sites which cater to local business such as Angie’s List, but these are primarily services sites that cater to plumbers, electricians, and other services. Try to find a site that will drive traffic into your store to sell products locally and you will be disappointed. Unfortunately, local merchants (until now) were left to their own devices to use whatever advertising options were available in their community.
All of this has changed with Google Local, the online world and offline world have now merged, and the outcome is quite awesome. Now you can advertise your products and local store on Google and bring customers into your store for local pickup and local delivery.
Affordable Marketing offers expert solutions for Google Places, Local Inventory Ads, Google Local Advertising, Google Maps, Local Services Ads.
Google Local Inventory Ads has become a powerful marketing tool for marketers and retail business owners. They’re particularly helpful to those with physical stores and are advertising their products and services online.
Their significance continues to rise as more people begin using their devices to research products on the web. The rising acceptance of click-and-collect is also helping make Google local marketing an important asset in publicizing a business.
Its incorporation in your advertising strategy simplifies the ability to reach potential shoppers while they’re in ‘research mode.’
Google Local Ads: What Are They?
They’re a type of promotion feature intended for advertisers and store owners that have physical locations. Advertisers and store owners can use local inventory ads (LIAs) to showcase their products and services to nearby customers using Google for research purposes.
Essential product information, e.g., product prices and availability can be shown to potential customers using these Google shopping ads. Other details that can be accessed by users include in-store details such as store distance, opening hours, reviews, and directions.
All of these helps make Google LIAs an efficient way to close the gap between in-store and online experiences.
For instance, if a customer is looking to buy a winter coat and is interested in trying it on before completing their purchase, they’ll search for “women’s puffer coats near me.” The search engine will, in turn, show LIAs of the same products.
Before you can set up the LIAs for your retail business, they’re a few requirements that you must satisfy first.
1.) Your business has a traditional store setup accessible by walk-in customers.
2.) The goods on sale don’t require additional purchases, e.g., a membership to the store.
3.) Your business is in a country that allows LIAs to run, such as the US, the UK, Australia, France, Denmark, and Canada.
4.) You abide by Google shopping ad policies, especially those related to technical quality standards, restricted content, and prohibited content and practices.
Pros and Cons of LIAs
There are both upsides and downsides to using LIAs. Marketers who can successfully set up google local marketing ads while minimizing the downsides can look forward to generating promising results. They’ll also find that these ads can significantly impact the store’s advertising strategy.
Pros
Drive foot traffic to your store: Showcasing store locations and product availability is an excellent way to entice local consumers, which is why advertisers love them.
Merge online with offline shopping: LIAs enable you to close the gap between physical and online shopping. Displaying them can influence whether a user chooses to shop at your store or over at your competition.
Decidedly relevant shopping knowledge: LIAs have become relevant as they work by targeting customers who are actively looking to shop in a certain geographic area. It means they can reach users with a high intent, thus boosting the probability of in-store purchases.
Cons
Complex set-up: You need to integrate and update product information regularly when setting up LIAs. This can prove challenging for store owners who have large inventories or whose stock is ever-changing.
Inventory management: Store owners need to have an active local inventory advert management system to manage their local inventory efficiently. This helps in ensuring that the product availability data is always up-to-date and accurate.
Understanding the upsides and downsides of Google local advertising, in particular, the downsides is crucial for store owners looking to leverage LIAs. It enables you to take measures to help in mitigating them to ensure the LIAs add value to your online advertising efforts.
Local Merchants Grow Foot Traffic
Google LIAs assist in bridging the gap that exists between online and in-store shopping experiences. They enable businesses to improve their product visibility by targeting customers with high intent.
Moreover, they get to do this when users are actively in research mode. While setting them up may need some upfront technical effort, and Affordable Marketing local professionals can help with this. Remember, google local advertising is proven to improve performance for store owners, making them a plus for any advertising strategy.
Google Maps has forever changed the way every driver navigates. Just imagine what is must have been like before Google Maps, when you had to pull into a gas station and ask directions or worse, open a Thomas Guide map book and navigate using actual maps and coordinates. Google Maps gets us to our destination (usually) with the shortest distance and gives us a map on screen and a voice direction. If you were born before 2010, you probably have no idea what it’s like trying to find a location without Google Maps.
Besides being a gamechanger for driving directions, Google Maps has also matured into a full fledged advertising component that allows local business to be found. Going back to the days before Google Maps, if you had a local business your only option for advertising was the Yellow Pages. A cumbersome phonebook that often required a magnifying glass to see some of the ads.
Why Google Maps matters, if we look at an example of say air conditioning service in Las Vegas, NV we’ll find an extremely competitive space. It just so happens that Las Vegas in short distance from the hottest place on earth, and air conditioning can be life or death. If you are an aur conditioning service company and not listed on Google Maps, chances are your phone doesn’t ring much. On the other hand you are listed in Google Maps you have the same space as your competitors to list your phone number and website free, and now your customers can easily find you.
Google Local Service Ads is a special ad service specifically designated for the following services areas.
- Home: Appliance repair, Carpenter, Carpet cleaning, Contracting, Countertop pro, Drain expert, Electrician, Fencing pro, Flooring pro, Foundations pro, Garage door, General contractor, Handyman, Home inspector, Home insulation, Home security, Home theater, House cleaning, HVAC, Junk removal, Landscaper, Lawn care, Locksmith, Moving services, Painter, Pest control, Plumber, Pool cleaning, Pool contractor, Roofing, Sewage system, Siding pro, Snow removal, Tree services, Water damage restoration, Window cleaning, Window repair
- Business: Accounting, Bankruptcy lawyer, Business lawyer, Contract lawyer, Criminal lawyer, Disability lawyer, DUI lawyer, Estate lawyer, Family lawyer, Financial planner, Immigration lawyer, IP lawyer, Labor lawyer, Lawyers, Litigation lawyer, Malpractice lawyer, Personal injury lawyer, Real estate agent, Real estate lawyer, Tax lawyer, Tax specialist, Traffic lawyer
- Health: Allergist, Chiropractor, Dentist, Dermatologist, Dietitian, Ophthalmologist, Optometrist, Orthodontist, Physical therapist, Podiatrist, Primary care
- Learning: Beauty school, Dance instructor, Driving instructor, First Aid Training, Language instructor, Massage school, Preschool, Tutor
- Care: Animal shelter/rescue, Child care, Funeral home, Pet adoption, Pet boarding, Pet grooming, Pet training, Veterinarian
- Wellness:Acupuncturist, First aid training, Massage, Personal trainer, Weight loss center, Yoga studio
- Beauty: Barber shops, Hair removal, Hair salon, Nail salon, Piercing studio, aesthetician, hair stylist, lash extensions
- Automotive: Auto body shop, Auto repair shop, Car wash and detailing, Installers, Mechanics, Tire shop, Towing
